Not How I Imagined
by TheresaJoliePitt
Summary: Spoilers for 47 seconds. Castle overhears another one of Kate's secret but it's not how he imagined finding out.


**AN: So this was the dream I had last night, well part of it, and I just had to write it. I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors that I missed when proof reading. Spoilers for 47 seconds if you have not seen the episode yet. I hope you enjoy reading this. :) **

Kate Beckett was staring at his chair, at his empty chair to be exact. Something had been wrong with Castle. She knew it, even if he was not admitting it. He went from loving her to treating her like she was chopped liver. She sighed and shook her head. She had to get her mind off of him in order to finish this paperwork. It was already late to begin with. Ryan, Esposito, and Castle had all left hours ago. It was just her.

The sound of the elevator doors opening had startled her. She was hoping it was Castle coming back. She had to talk to him and figure out what was going on. She need not only her best friend but the man that she loved back.

She was finally starting to admit it to herself that she was in love with him and that she had to make a move soon. But when she saw him today with that blonde bimbo she had realized that she might have been too late. He just stopped trying without giving her any warnings.

Kate heard footsteps coming closer to her and was surprised at who she saw when she looked up. "Josh? What are you doing here?" She said with a soft smile. Even though they ended things between them and they haven't spoken since that day in the hospital when she broke up with him she could not hate him. He did help save her life and never did anything wrong...well besides push Castle while she was fighting for her life in the hospital.

"Hey, Kate. I figured you would still be here. Some things never change no matter how long I've been in Africa for".

She shrugged. "Yea, well at night when no one here is the best time to do paper work. There's no one here to distract you and it seems to go by quicker". _That is of course if you are not constantly thinking about while all of a sudden your partner hates you. _

"Writer boy not here to help you with that?"

She gave him a look that said don't even start. "He's at home or out with this blonde bimbo". She said that last part under her breath.

Josh had caught it though. "You still haven't told him how you feel?"

She rolled her eyes "I don't know what you're talking about". She was not going to let her ex-boyfriend be the one that she finally confesses her love for Castle to.

"Alright, Kate. Then why don't you go out to dinner with me?"

"I have work to do".

"You can do this paperwork tomorrow. Come on, Kate. What's the real reason you won't go out with me tonight?"

He really wasn't going to let this go. "Because I'm...I'm in love with someone. Someone that I care about, a lot. And going out with you would definitely hurt him and that's the last thing in the world that I want to do to him".

"I can see you have no idea what I'm talking about". He gave her a small smirk. "I'm not going to lie, Kate. I really came here tonight to see if you want to go out tonight and if things went well maybe try to pick up where we left off...but that's obviously not going to happen. Just don't wait too long, Kate."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her ex-boyfriend was giving her relationship advice? Relationship advice with Castle? This was just some crazy dream she was having.

"Yea, I'm surprised I'm giving you relationship advice, especially Castle relationship advice, as well considering we both don't have the best track record when it comes to relationships".

She gave him a soft smile. "It was nice to see you Josh but like I said paperwork goes done faster when I do not have anyone here". She didn't want to seem like she was kicking him out but the urge to fall asleep at her desk was growing stronger by the second.

"Goodnight, Kate. Don't work too hard". He headed towards the elevator and that's when he saw the figure standing by the stairwell. "Well looks like you have good timing this time around". He headed passed him and into the elevator.

When the bell rang for the elevator she looked up just to make sure Josh was really leaving and that's when she saw Castle. Crap. Wait no, she wanted him here, she just didn't want him to find out that she loved him over a conversation with her ex. "Castle, when did you get here?" She hoped she wasn't too sleep deprived that she was just seeing things.

"Long enough". The look on his face was not the "I'm really angry at you, Beckett" face she had seen for the past few days. It was still angry but it was a calmer angry. Like an "I'm angry at you but I love you more to push it to the side".

She sighed. "Rick, this is not how I imagined you finding out about this".

"Well that goes for both of us" He sat down in his chair next to her desk. "Twice in a matter of weeks you've surprised me by revealing a secret. I heard you at the interrogation room that day with Bobby. I know you remember. I was so angry that you kept that from me. You knew I loved you and you pretended like it didn't happen. I thought you were embarrassed and you did not want to tell me you heard because you did not feel the same way" He looked at her and saw her face was a bit pale.

"Rick, I..."

"Let me finish" She nodded. "These past few weeks I've been trying to switch the I'm in love with you switch from on to off but it's not moving. I tried dating someone else but she's not you. I came here tonight to tell you that I was leaving because that's the only thing I haven't tried yet...but then I overheard you with Josh..." He looked at her. "Anytime you want to start talking would be great".

"Rick, I am so sorry that I hurt you. I am sorry that I didn't tell you sooner that I remember. I was going to tell you and my plan was not telling you in front of a suspect. I am sorry that I made you think that I do not love you and I am sorry that I made you so angry that you were thinking of leaving just to get passed all of this. I love you so much that it scares me. I do not want to lose you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in a very long time and I do not want to lose you because of my stupid actions...but it looks like I've already have".

"Kate, the whole reason I was going to leave was because I thought you did not love me and were just toying with this all along. I came here tonight to tell you I was leaving but as soon as I saw you sitting there I knew I couldn't do it, even before I heard what you said to Josh. No matter how much I was hurting I could not leave you. I am still mad that you kept this secret from me but I love you, Kate. I'm not going anywhere" He placed his hand in hers. "Just promise me you won't run from this either".

She looked at his hand in hers before looking back up at him. "I promise. I do not have the best track record with relationships but I know for certain that I love you and I do not want to walk out of this building again without me by your side. I might get scared at times but I know you'll be there to help me." She gave him a smile. "Just promise me that the only other women you bring into this precinct is your mother or Alexis".

"Do I detect some jealousy, Katherine Beckett?" He smirked.

She glared at him slightly before getting up from her seat, not releasing her hand from his, and sitting in his lap. "Are you going to keep talking or are you going to kiss me?"

He leaned in to slightly brush his lips with hers "Avoiding the question means yes" He smirked before kissing her deeply.

If she he was anyone else she would of broken the kiss and gave him one of her famous Beckett death glares but he wasn't just anyone. He was her one and done, her partner, her best friend, and the one she promised she'd never hurt again.


End file.
